Hardwood Flooring Installation Tools (Nailers, Compressors, Saws, etc…)
Updated 2/18/09 with more details and information:
Hardwood flooring is one of the most popular upgrades for today’s homes, and for good reason. The hardwood flooring association of America reports that 90% of real estate agents say homes with wood floors sell faster and for higher prices.
Over the last decade, do-it-yourself wood floor installs have rocketed as hardwood companies cut out the retailer and sell directly to consumers. Basic wood floor installation is the perfect candidate for a DIY weekend (or multiple weekend) project. The hardwoods at the right are a great example of an easy project to carry out with the proper tools.
Below, we’ve featured the tools we like most for this job and highlighted the links at Amazon and Toolking (our two favorite online tool joints). There’s a short list at the conclusion of this post where all the tools are grouped into one place for reference. We like Amazon for their favorable shipping policies (often free) and no sales tax in most places, and Toolking for the wide selection and no sales taxes (although in our experience Amazon often has lower prices).
The remainder of this post assumes you have a basic understanding of installing hardwood floors and what you’ll need to complete the job. If you don’t have any idea where to start, we suggest getting a good reference. You can start online with HomeTip’s Hardwood Flooring Installation Guide. It gives a basic overview of the installation process. We also recommend picking up a flooring guide like Stanley’s Complete Flooring.
Stanley’s Complete Flooring covers hardwood installation and includes a wide range of floor types (not just hardwood installation). It’s a useful reference even beyond your first installation project. If you’ve settled on installing hardwoods, you can pick up Stanley’s guide along with the tools you don’t already own that are highlighted below.
Recommended Hardwood Floor Install Tools
#1) Toe Nailer for Fastening Hardwood Floors
The most important tool for hardwood flooring installation is the hardwood flooring nailer, also called a toe nailer because it drives cleats through the edge of a hardwood flooring into the subfloor or joist below.
Hardwood flooring nailers fall into two overall categories: manual and air-powered (pneumatic) nailers. We highly recommend a pneumatic nailer. While manual nailers are cheaper, they are hard on the installer, tend to under-drive nails and split boards, and may produce a looser installation (for example, leaving small gaps between the planks). Pneumatic floor nailers are a bit more spendy, but well worth the added cost to protect your flooring investment.
Unfortunately, most pneumatic hardwood flooring nailers are expensive ($399+ for a realiable, brand name nailer). We’ve written an extensive article on two pro-model wood floor nailers we recommend (a Bostitch and a Porter Cable version of the same pneumatic tool). For DIYers, Amazon also sells a much less expensive Hardcore Tools Pneumatic Hardwood Flooring Nailer (usually around $240 shipped). We’re very impressed with the very high reviews this tool gets even though it doesn’t benefit from wide brand recognition. Here’s the link:
If you’re planning on doing a single home’s worth of hardwood floors, we think this air nailer is your best bet for the job.
#2) Mitre Saw to Cut Flooring Boards
If you don’t already own a decent mitre saw, installing floors is the perfect time to purchase one. Mitre saws range in capabilities and price. For hardwood flooring, you need only a basic saw capable of making 90 degree cuts and the occasional 25-45 degree cut to work around an obstacle (for instance, stairs or support posts).
If your goal is only to complete this one project, we recommend an inexpensive saw like this Factory-reconditioned Ryobi 10 inch Mitre Saw with Laser Guide. Of course, if you can borrow a mitre saw, that’s even better for a single project.
If you’re looking for a mitre saw that will last for years to come and work in all types of projects, we suggest this Reconditioned Makita 10-inch Dual Slide Compound Miter Saw with Laser Guide. Dual slide compound saws will allow you to handle a wide array of lumber sizes and make complex cuts, like those required for crown molding installation.
#3) Finish Nailer & Compressor Combo Kit for Trim
The beginning and end boards in a wood flooring job cannot be installed with the toe nailer because the nailer cannot fit close to either the start or the end wall in a room. In these cases, a finish nailer should be used to secure the boards in place by performing a toe nail function (for the 2-4 board from the end) or by top nailing the boards (for the last 1-2 boards). A finish nailer will also be required for the installation of the baseboard and the installation of quarter round or shoe molding trim. Follow those links for our instructions on doing this for your own floors.
We are huge fans of two reconditioned finish nailer and compressor combo kits available on Amazon. Both of these kits offer a compressor (which you will need to power the hardwood flooring nailer and the finish nailer), a finish nailer, a brad nailer, and a crown stapler. The two reconditioned kits are below. We are slightly biased toward the Bostitch for its slightly cheaper price. Plus, we’ve heard good things about this nailer from our fellow bloggers, even though we own the Porter Cable version.
- Reconditioned Bostitch Three Nailer and Compressor Combo Kit
- Reconditioned Porter Cable Three Nailer and Compressor Combo Kit
#4) Table Saw For Ripping Boards Length-wise.
It is possible, although not probable, that you can perform a complete hardwood installation without a table saw. A table saw is only required if the last board in a room cannot be laid at full width. For example, if you are laying 4 inch wide planks, and only a 2 inch space remains at the end of the room, you will need to rip a board (rip means to cut it length-wise) to complete the installation.
During installs where we haven’t had a table saw available to us, we simply lay the entire floor and then run to a friends’ house or local shop to get the final board cut. If you’re doing multiple rooms or foresee a need for a table saw in the future, we recommend this DeWALT DW745 Heavy Duty 10-inch Table Saw. The saw boasts plenty of horsepower for a variety of woodworking tasks and is a great addition to a DIYers tool kit.
#5) Jamb Saw for Cutting Door Jambs
There will be places in a hardwood flooring installation where the trim pieces around doors needs to be cut a little higher than the existing floor so that hardwood can fit underneath. There is no need to remove the molding from the doors; you can simply cut the molding in place using a jamb saw.
Jamb saws come in manual and power models. We prefer the hand tool because it is about 10% of the price of the power tool and the amount of cutting required in the typical installation does not warrant the fully automatic version. We’ve used and really like the Irwin Pro Touch Flush Cut Reversible Jamb Saw. At under $10, it makes the job easy at a price tag that doesn’t break the bank. If you’re hung up on getting the power tool version, check out this Reconditioned Bosch Power Hand Saw that will do the job just fine.
#6) Miscellaneous Tools for Everything Else…
In addition to the tools above, it’s also very good to have the following tools on hand:
- a 35-foot tape measure to provide accurate measurements,
- a chalk line for setting a mark for the first board and ensuring you stay straight,
- a nail set in case you need to sink a few nails below the wood surface by hand, and
- an additional rubber mallet for tapping boards into place (in addition to the mallet you need).
Complete List of Required Tools
Here’s our consolidated list of recommended hardwood flooring tools from above (note, we’ve picked our recommended option from each section. See the individual section above for more info).
- Hardcore Tools Pneumatic Hardwood Flooring Nailer or one of these two pro models.
- Reconditioned Ryobi 10 inch Mitre Saw with Laser Guide or this advanced Makita model.
- Reconditioned Bostitch Three Nailer and Compressor Combo Kit
- DeWALT DW745 Heavy Duty 10-inch Table Saw (optional)
- Irwin Pro Touch Flush Cut Reversible Jamb Saw
- Stanley FatMax 35-foot Tape Measure
- Irwin Chalk Line
- Stanley Nail Set
- Rubber Mallet
- Stanley’s Complete Flooring Book (optional)
Our favorite part about a hardwood flooring installation is the variety of tools you can purchase that are reused on later DIY jobs. With the exception of the hardwood flooring nailer, every tool in this list is used on dozens of other DIY projects that you’ll likely tackle in the future.
Best of luck with your installation!
What to you think? Would you make any changes to our list? Weigh in below and let us know.
First image courtesy of Juhansonin.
Comments & Conversation on this Article...
5 Responses to Hardwood Flooring Installation Tools (Nailers, Compressors, Saws, etc…)
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January 7th, 2009 10:50 am
I wish I had just purchased the hardcore nailer you mention in this review. Since I’m doing most of the house in hardwood, the rental fees are adding up…
January 7th, 2009 9:59 pm
Corey, I know exactly what you mean… In fact I was going to do a little analysis of renting vs. buying a nailer after I found the Rocket Tools model… Owning the nailer significantly relieves the stress in the project.
Ethan just finished his floors and worked 4 individual days to complete most of the first floor. This tool practically pays for itself on that job alone… Plus, with the reviews its getting, looks like it has a pretty good life. I probably wouldn’t rely on it for many jobs (unlike the bostitch model which comes with a 7 year warranty).
February 18th, 2009 11:00 pm
[...] resources online. My friends Fred and Ethan over at One Project Closer have a great resource about hardwood flooring installation tools. They did a great job detailing tools that you’ll need for your next hardwood flooring [...]
February 19th, 2009 1:20 pm
Great article, I just wanted to mention that I’m a huge fan of the DeWalt 18V cordless finishing nailer. I’ve used one for all of the trim and finish work in my house (about 1000′ so far) and I’m in awe of how good, but simple it is. I’d say it takes me 20% less time than using an air nailer, and easily 50% (or more) less time than doing it by hand. Most of my friends, my father, and my father-in-law (who was a home builder for more than two decades) love it and borrow it for their projects. Aside from a monsterously powerful DeWalt mitre saw (sliding, compound, dual-bevel, laser guided!) my cordless finishing nailer is my favorite purchase of the 21st century, thus far.
-Jon
February 19th, 2009 9:45 pm
Jon, good suggestion on the electric nailer. I looked for an electric hardwood nailer and none exist (can’t get the PSI needed, I guess). But, if you are going to rent the compressor and nailer, then an electric finish nailer makes sense.
I’ve personally done baseboard and quarter round by hand. I think it’s more like 90% faster to go automated myself. Plus, I constantly hit my fingers due to tight spaces (I did a bathroom). The finish nailer is a must… just rips right through the project.